Assam: IIT-Guwahati Endorses Strict Depth Limits for Kamakhya Access Corridor Project to Protect Groundwater in Nilachal Hills

Guwahati: The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) has advocated for rigorous compliance with depth-related construction safeguards outlined by the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee, in the ongoing Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor Project on Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, Assam.

The institute has cautioned that deviating from these guidelines could disrupt vital fracture-controlled groundwater pathways critical to the area's fragile hydro-geological system.

The recommendations follow a detailed geophysical and hydrological assessment commissioned by the Assam government in response to two public interest litigations filed in the Gauhati High Court.

The Roorkee-based NIH conducted the study to evaluate the potential subsurface impacts of the Rs 500-crore initiative, which aims to improve pilgrim access and facilities at the revered Kamakhya Temple complex. IIT Guwahati subsequently reviewed and validated the NIH's findings, endorsing its key prescriptions.

By overlaying the proposed construction plans onto mapped fracture networks, the researchers pinpointed interconnected fractures at depths of 1.9 metres to 10.5 metres along the corridor stretch from upstream of the Maa Kamakhya Temple to the area in front of the Chinnamasta Temple.

Within the Siddheshwar Temple premises, fractures were detected between 3.9 metres and 8.1 metres.

To safeguard the natural groundwater flow, the report mandates that foundation depths in the section between the Maa Kamakhya Temple and Chinnamasta Temple be restricted to no more than 1.9 metres.

Similarly, construction in front of the Siddheshwar Temple should limit foundations to 3.9 metres or the depth of the nearest fracture, whichever is shallower.

In the playground area, the study identified a subsurface soil-fill layer of approximately 3.2 to 3.5 metres thick, consisting of coarse sand, pebbles, and clay, overlying compacted or weathered rock. Fractures in this zone appear at depths of 6.4 metres to 7.6 metres , with geophysical indicators showing a progression from soil-fill to weathered rock and then to hard rock. IIT Guwahati has advised capping foundation depths here at a maximum of 6.4 metres to prevent any intersection with or disturbance to these groundwater pathways.

“These recommendations are essential to preserving the integrity of the natural hydro-geological regime while enabling responsible implementation of the development project,” the IIT-G researchers emphasised in their vetted assessment.

In line with these expert directives, the project's consultants have revised the structural drawings, incorporating the specified depth thresholds across all four construction blocks.

The Public Works Department (PWD) had earlier informed the Gauhati High Court that most pilgrim amenities and utility structures are strategically placed over the footprints of pre-existing houses and buildings. This approach leverages long-compacted land to reduce fresh geological disturbance.

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